Real Madrid President Florentino Pérez has forcefully denounced Spanish refereeing, controversially citing it as the primary cause of immense “damage” to the club. Pérez’s comments, made at the annual Christmas media lunch, come despite the club grappling with an injury crisis, a string of poor results, and existing pressure on coach Xabi Alonso.
The president’s frustrations peaked following Los Blancos’ narrow 2-1 win over Alavés on Sunday evening, a match that reignited the debate over refereeing integrity. In the dying minutes of the game, a clear challenge by Nahuel Tenaglia on Vinícius Júnior inside the box was ignored. Referee Víctor García Verdura waved play on, and VAR official Pablo González Fuertes chose not to send the referee to the monitor, denying what appeared to be a clear penalty.
Pérez categorized the issue as the club’s greatest worry:
“Christmas is also a time to reflect on the things that concern us. And in our case, I can tell you categorically that Real Madrid’s greatest concern is the situation of refereeing in Spain.”
He highlighted past controversies, including a VAR official who allegedly threatened action against the club before a Copa final. Pérez also pointed to the decisions in the recent Alavés and Girona matches, suggesting a pattern of overlooking fouls on Vinícius and Rodrygo: “It seems that the trips experienced by Vinicius or Rodrygo in our last two outings are not penalties, it is the refereeing novelty of this season.”
Pérez concluded with a stark warning about the long-term impact on the league: “The integrity and decency of our sport is at stake. The image of our football has been seriously damaged. And therefore, justice must be done because only then can we, together, regenerate Spanish football.”
